I think that when people hear the word Zinfandel, they immediately think of the white, sweet wine that was popular between the early 1980s and the late 1990s. The sweetness appealed to the American palate, had no real flavor or character and was a way to sell a batch of wine in a stuck fermentation.
The popularity of white Zinfandel did have one benefit-it saved many of the old vine Zinfandel vineyards that would have been ripped out and replanted with other varieties. Old vine Zinfandel vineyards are a treasure. Many are between 50-100 years old and represent the history of winemaking in the U.S. They also survived the phylloxera outbreaks of the 1860s and the 1980s. While old vines don’t produce a lot of fruit, the fruit that they do produce is smaller, with more concentrated flavor.
The Klinker Brick Old Vine Zinfandel is really delicious. It has all of those wonderful dark fruit qualities of Zinfandel, black cherry, blackberry, dark plum, and blueberry. It also has the characteristic peach yogurt flavor that I always look for in Zinfandel. These fruits are balanced out by the lovely secondary flavors of leather, cocoa, smoke, vanilla, tobacco and cedar. The tannins are there for sure but they are soft, not overpowering. All of these flavor balance out the high alcohol (15.4% abv) that Zinfandel tends to have. This wine is made from vineyard blocks that are up to 120 years old and the Lodi-Mokelumne River region of California is one of the best for growing this grape.
I have seen this wine normally priced between $18.00-$20.00 a bottle but it does go on special, which is the case for this bottle. So, when you do find a discount, I recommend stocking up. It is an exceptional wine for this price.
You may think that a bold wine like a Zinfandel is too much for the summer heat but I would like to suggest otherwise. Zinfandel is a flexible wine that goes with many summertime food favorites. It is great with grilled meats-particularly beef and pairs nicely with barbecue sauce. It also pairs with some foods that you may find unexpected. It is unusual to find a red wine that goes with asian food but I think that Zinfandel does. The characteristic jammy quality of Zinfandel matches well with beef dishes and dishes with bold, spicy sauces. I paired this with a spicy beef and broccoli dish and it was a nice addition to the meal. I also love just drinking this alone and chilling on the patio.
If you have a lower opinion of Zinfandel, I would recommend picking up a bottle and trying it out. This wine just might change your mind and might just become one of your favorites.